Hare Krishna,
i am reading this Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbavananda; i know that the main Gita we devotees rely on is the one written by His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, nonetheless i would like to share with you some interesting quotes and examples that i have found illuminating so far.
I like this version mainly because it is interspersed with phrases by Ramakrishna which elucidate several topics and shed light on some of the Gita's verses.
You will find some photos attached below, for those interested in this kind of reading i may post other examples taken from this Gita later.
Replies
Despite many scripture translations are edited for better understanding, they dont change the point of Srila Prabhupada. Without his students, it would be impossible to do such complicated translations at all, because Srila Prabhupadas english was weak, especially at beginning of his mission.
So everybody should respect such service of his students, as service to srila Prabhupada and all of us.
Anyway, as you said "The various Brahmās exhibit four, eight, sixteen, etc., heads accordingly, and they are the chief creators in their respective universes, was deleted.
Maybe im in mistake, but I didnt find base in any vedic scriptures to support such statement. So why confusion about deleting it ?
Please accept my humble obeisances,
In addition to what Shravn prabhu said earlier,
Our primary concern is fullfillment and happiness of Krsna only. Though it is understandably hard to digest that we are just menial servants of servants, someone to be enjoyed and not an enjoyer,someone who is just a servant afterall, it doesn't make the fact any less valid, regardless of its palatability to our conditioned state. In fact this is the real test, are we ready to accept Krsna as the purush, the only- sole -one without a second - male who is the enjoyer and the primeval cause of all causes? Its heavy,...forgive my quotation abilities, but prabhupada in a very solemn lecture to his sanyasi disciples once asked, 'do you accept? do you accept Krsna , guru shastra?'
.Pure vaisnavas and mahabhagavatas like prabhupada are never fulfilled in terms of serving krsna. the more they serve, the less they think they are fullfilled...always aiming for more. Gopis said in the gopigitam...that they envied indra because he had numerous eyes and even though they have seen krsna many times, they can't stop looking at Him and they feel more unsatisfied each moment. Prabhupada said that gratifying our senses is the cause of bondage but satifying krsnas senses is the aim and cause od liberation(devotees would rather prefer living in hell if they could chant the holy names there than be merged in brahma jyoti) .,
First of all in the bhagavatam..from canto 1 text 1, no purport is free from Srila Prabhupada's despisal of the mayavadi theory of becoming one with the lord. More into this, in the Krsna book the phrase "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna.." has been used a zillion times. Was Srila Prabhupada just taking up space by repetition or was he really making sure its drilled ineliminably into our brains?
Severely admonishing each and every concept, he has ingeniously crippled the very spine of mayavadis from which they cant have any argument to dare to rise up. Be sure that it is not the people being attacked, but the spirit of being the enjoyer that is being attacked. They are given the accolade of the highest sort of bewildered and bewilderers and dangerous and self centered and egoistic of all maya's allurements in the purpots. The allurements of maya to a training sadhaka like us increase progressively, from things like satisfaction of the senses and drinking, to the most fatal and deadliest, ...merging with the supreme, like these so called mayavadis want to do. Prabhupada has said in SB....it is the highest snare, the deadliest trap of maya, of making you think you are God.
" So both becoming the most powerful man in the world and desiring to become one with the lord are different illusory snares. Because Brahma is a pure devotee, even though the first dominating diety in the material world and therefore able to do many wonderful things, he would never, like the nondevotee with a poor fund of knowledge have the audacity to think of becoming one with the lord. People with poor fund of knowledge shoukd take lessons from Brahma when they are puffed up with the false notion of becoming God."
- Purport SB. 2. 9. 29
Please read Srila Prabhupda's ingenious books, esp. Srimad bhagavatam that really cripple any maddened elephant that tries to cripple the creeper of pure bhakti. and will, from grassroot level eradicate any mayavadi thoughts.
verses are inumerable, but try
2 .9.20- 20
2.9.23
1.5.19
Regarding Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekanand, Prabhupada in his lecture in a bombay pandal severly defeated what the speaker invited before said who applauded Vivekananda instead. In his humble habit of listening to his own lecture, (it wasn't me who was speaking, it was Krsna) when the part of chiding thr ministers remarks came, he smashed his fist and said,
" I've smashed him!"
your servant,
Hare Krishna!
This book is written by a disciple of Shivananda, who was a disciple of Vivekananda.
Vivekananda is not a devotee. He is a Mayavadi.
Meaning, one believes he is god and forgot that he is god. Mayavadis claim they forgot that they are god, because they are covered by maya. They also believe that maya is more powerful than god.
Such thinking is offensive.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Mayavadi, Krishna Aparadhi"
Such books should be avoided at all cost. Milk from a Brahmin cow is good for you. Gives you intelligence. However, if the milk touched by a snake, it becomes poison. Same way, Bhagavad Gita explained by a mayavadi is like poison to the spirit soul.
My advice to you, is to immediately remove the book from your house.
If you continue reading, you will lose devotion to Krishna and start seeking liberation instead.
Mayavadis want liberation, by merging in the Brahmajyothi of Krishna. For devotees, such mukthi is like committing suicide. This kind of liberation is the lowest of all the liberation's possible. A devotee will refuse such liberation if offered.
In the second image, I read a few words.
"Self control culminates in self-fulfillment."
These are total mayavadi words.
Self fulfillment is not the goal. A devotee's goal is to please Krishna. Not himself.
We also do not focus on self control. We depend on Krishna for everything.
We follow the basic 4 regulative priciples and 16 rounds of Mahamantra Japa.
Mayavadis go through extensive self control, Patanjali's yoga sutras.
It is impossible to follow in this dark age of Kali.
We instead focus on Krishna Sankirtana. Pure bliss!
Overtime we get purified as Caitanya Mahaprabhu wrote in Shikshastakam. Just 8 short poems.
To hell with self control. Let the mayavadis punish themselves!
Not for me.
Haribol,
Jai Sri Krishna
Nice Prabhu. Haribol :)